


Selective Ignorance

by QueenBoudica



Series: Selective Ignorance [1]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur Finds Out, BAMF Merlin, Gen, Historical Inaccuracy, Humor, I can't sleep on planes, Magic Reveal, Magic Revealed, Smart!Uther, So instead i write crack, Sorcerers have no respect for personal property, Uther already knew, kind of, nice!Uther
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-05
Updated: 2015-07-05
Packaged: 2018-04-07 18:55:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4274286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenBoudica/pseuds/QueenBoudica
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A sorcerer attacks Camelot again. Merlin stops him. He just wished that Arthur and his dad hadn't seen the whole thing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Selective Ignorance

**Author's Note:**

> Another fic I wrote on my heinously long flight from Frankfurt. I had been thinking about btvs and then I remembered that treasured line from Giles, and then this happened. 
> 
> Also, I'm pretty sure that Camelot had neither stained-glass windows nor a masonry guild in the show, but if I can make it rain in act 3 scene 1 in Romeo and Juliet just so I can reference Les Mis, I get to be be historically inaccurate.

The day had started out perfectly normally. Merlin dragged himself out of his bed at an egregiously early hour, stumbled down to the kitchens to collect his charge's breakfast from the equally exhausted staff, and made his way to Arthur's chambers. He then proceeded to resume his usual routine of barging in without so much as a knock and subjecting Arthur to an inhumanly cheerful getting, resulting in his head becoming rather intimately acquainted with a goblet traveling at high velocity. They engaged in their usual witty banter as Merlin helped prepare Arthur for the meeting he had with his father.

Once begun, said meeting proceeded as they are wont to do, with Merlin standing awkwardly in the background whilst Arthur and his father disagreed over various political matters. Merlin had begun to drift off into his thoughts, so it came as a rather large surprise when the huge stained glass window overlooking the throne room shattered into millions of pieces.

Once, just once, Merlin wished they would get attacked by a sorcerer that had a semblance of respect for personal property, but was reminded of the situation when he saw the slack-jawed looks of shock plastered across his companions' faces.

Unlike most villains, this one didn't seem to be predisposed to lengthy monologues, as he launched right into attacking without giving so much as his name.

Due to the lack of proper warning, Merlin failed to respond for a moment, giving the sorcerer enough time to shorten the distance between himself and his intended targets, and hurled a ball of fire at Arthur's head. Caught off guard, Merlin instinctively sprinted in front of it and it was dispersed by the shield he conjured.

The sorcerer looked up at him in shock and sneered.

"Well, if it isn't the great Emrys, the traitor to all of our kind. You're still defending your precious prince, I see."

On the bright side, this revelation distracted the sorcerer from Arthur. Conversely, it now meant he was out for Merlin's blood.

He threw himself into battle once more, launching a barrage of assaults that, if Merlin were not indeed Merlin, would surely have torn him to bits, burned them, and stomped on the pieces. As it was, Merlin deflected them with a flick of his wrist.

By now, he was decidedly unhappy. All he wanted was a week without poorly thought out plans from imbecilic sorcerers. Was that too much to ask?

Tired and pissed off, Merlin decided to end things quickly. With a move of his hand, he threw the sorcerer back through the hole he had rudely created in the side of the castle. Satisfied that return would be unfeasible for the man, he repaired the damage to the glass. He wouldn't want to cause extra stress for his friends in the masonry guild.

Feeling rather pleased with himself, Merlin turned around to leave the room, and was then immediately reminded that he was not, in fact, alone. Not only was Arthur looking at him with an undisguised look of shock and concern, but Uther's eyes were not, in fact full of fear and anger, but intrigue and calculation.

"Um... er... I can explain," began Merlin, when Uther cut him off.

"I'm sure you can, but I don't want to hear it. The less I know about this, the better," he stated, and now Merlin joined Arthur in looking dumbstruck as Uther continued:

"Wasn't here, didn't see it, couldn't stop you," he concluded, as he exited the chambers, his cape billowing out behind him.

Merlin and Arthur stared at each other.

"Merlin," Arthur began, "what the fuck just happened?"

**Author's Note:**

> I really just wanted an excuse to use that line, but can't you totally imagine Uther knowing all along but not giving a shit?


End file.
